Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Putin Stands Firmly With His Syrian Ally

Russian President Refuses to Betray Assad

Another foreign policy failure for the Obama administration, which has cynically and stupidly aligned the United States with the forces of Sunni Islamism.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is refusing to betray and abandon his ally, the embattled Syrian dictator, in sharp contrast with Washington's recent betrayal of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a U.S. ally for three decades.

Russia's point of view is obvious: it does not want another Libya--in Russia's backyard. Syria is within driving distance of Russia; and Russia's Muslim separatists are allied with Al Qaeda-linked groups. Russia does not see Shiite Islamist Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, as threats.

Israel, while certainly not rooting for an Al Qaeda victory in Syria, clearly views Iran/Hezbollah as the greater threat because of Iran's nuclear and missile programs and Hezbollah's own arsenal of ballistic missiles. Given Syria's chemical arms arsenal, Israel could have to again attack Syrian targets in spite of Syrian and Russian warnings.

It isn't hard to see how the Syrian civil war--in which the West should never have meddled in the first place--could quickly engulf the region in a terrible conflict.